Flying Force Fin Report

[meesier42]

I love them in Purple and Green, they are best!

 

[scrane]

I really like my standard Force Fins, but 500 bucks?!!

 

[Bob Evans]

I just completed dive 50 with my new Flying Force Fins. I wanted to wait until I had significant usage first. 25 dives in warm water (Wetsuit - Roatan ), 25 dives in cold water (Drysuit - NJ wreck and Dutch Springs). I've used FF Pros and other FFs for about 15 years.

First impressions were interesting: I dropped to 60 feet, (CCV Roatan), kicked gently and thought that I had lost a fin; There was no resistance or so I thought. I looked down and they were both on my feet. From then on, propulsion with both frog and flutter kicks were excellent. Better than the FF Pros. A bit too easy in fact. I had to constantly look down to check that the fins were on my feet! A strange sensation; first time in over 40 years of diving. I'd never felt anything so easy on my calves before.

I completed 12 dives at CCV, then on an afternoon dive, I forgot my fins back on the dock en route to a dive site. The DM had a pair of Mares Volo fins on the boat which he loaned me. What a difference. It was like wearing two two planks of wood on my feet. Yes they worked but an incredible change from the FFFs. I felt more stress on my legs and my SAC increased significantly on both dives. (Thanks SW Perdix AI). I could not believe the difference.

I'm now completely sold on these fins. Dove in NJ (in a DS with ankle weights). Acceleration is awesome - you just have to learn to kick less and know that the fins are really working. That's what took me the longest to figure out. People still give you strange looks except for the other two FF divers on our boat - (who now want a pair too!

Thanks Bob!

Thank You. I wonder why any one would want a fin hanging off the end of their foot. makes no sense, and the Freedom of Force fins...well maybe after I am long gone Divers will appreciate what happened over 35 years ago now. God Bless

 

[Bob Evans]

The GOOD part for me is that I have stayed manufactoring here in America for the past 33 years, but over time our direct cost of goods went from $30.00 a pair to over $ 100.00 a pair...so we let our over 600 dealers here in America and overseas fall off by attrition, and held our own on the Internet. Little known fact is that the original Force Fin website was built by a entrepreneurial, and Smart, as so many Force Fin divers are, customer, when there were only 200,000 web pages in existence. That gave us an edge on internet marketing, while everyone else in the industry was still afraid of the future that is today. Whether it is our products or our profile, we seem to always be on the front line..... Back to pricing, I've been mulling this over. Why is it that some divers think that they should want CHEAP fins? It doesn't make sense to me, as in how manufacture, how I buy product, I have never purchased anything based on it being a cheap price. I've always gone for quality and performance, but if you really have to have a deal, use coupon code "BETTERWET" when you checkout at ForceFin.com

 

[scubadada]

Hi @tridacna

I have had a pair of FF Pros for many years, have not dived them in a while. I have also tried Excellerating FF https://www.scubaboard.com/community/posts/7760551/. Sounds like you have extensive experience with Force Fins. Do you dive your new Flying Force Fins with whiskers or not? How would you compare the performance of the Flying FF to the Pros and to the Excellerating FF? What fins did you dive before converting to FFs?

Good diving, Craig

 

[tridacna]

Craig,

These new Flying Force Fins have no place for whiskers. They resemble FF Pros but in a different material and have a bent tip similar to a 737 jetliner. See Bob’s picture above.

I started using FFs initially because of issues with cramping. Since changing to them about 20 years ago, I have never cramped again. I now have about 5 different pairs including Excellerating with whiskers which I no longer use. (All with bungees. Always with boots - I don’t own any comfort doodahs). I just never found an advantage with the EFFs over my FF Pros.

So I use FF Pros for almost all my diving and have never found them to be lacking. I use them for both cold and warm. I primarily frog kick; seldom back kick or helicopter.

Flying FFs are a major upgrade. It’s hard to imagine how easy these are on your feet. The power they produce seem out of sync with the effort you expend. I’m constantly looking down to check that they’re on my feet. I’m happy to loan any pair to you to try out - I’m a size 11 shoe - PM me if you’re interested.

 

[meesier42]

I would say that the Flying Force is the upgrade to the original. Just one step better than the Oorignial in pretty much every way. Great go to fin that will do what you want it to and you'll not have to think about it.

The Excellerator feels similar, but I can frog kick better, back kick better and perform fine movements more accurately (using camera).

I love both of them, but I will admit that I use the Flying (XL) more often in warm water, and the Excellerator (or Hockey) with my drysuit (XXL).

 

[lagoiski]

I have just ordered a pair of Flying Force. How is the new Indigo material snap? As good as Tan Delta? And any photos?

 

[aquacat8]

Oh I have always wanted to try these! Definitely on the fin wish list!

 

[tridacna]

Just for fun, I've been diving with one EFF yellow and an indigo wingtip. EFF gives more power but wingtip is way less effort to kick. Go figure! You do get recognised underwater.